Cycling is good for your body. Of course, because sport is healthy. Healthy, if you do it on a regular basis. (Ultra endurance) cyclists often forget that they demand a lot on their muscles, joints and ligaments. Especially endurance athletes train in lower intensity (which is definitely not a bad thing), however, they also put a constant one-sided strain on their muscles, joints and ligaments. This can have negative impacts on your performance and body functions in a long-term view. Thus, this article shows some aspects that can be improved by a comprehensive cross-training on and off the bike.
FASTER RECOVERY
Cycling is good for your body. Of course, because sport is healthy. Healthy, if you do it on a regular basis. (Ultra endurance) cyclists often forget that they demand a lot on their muscles, joints and ligaments. Especially endurance athletes train in lower intensity (which is definitely not a bad thing), however, they also put a constant one-sided strain on their muscles, joints and ligaments. This can have negative impacts on your performance and body functions in a long-term view. Thus, this article shows some aspects that can be improved by a comprehensive cross-training on and off the bike.
All muscles, joints and ligaments are connected in our body. This means that a one-sided strain on a certain muscle can negatively impact the functions of our joints and ligaments. And as a consequence, will enhance pain.
RIDING WITHOUT INJURIES
IMPROVE POSTURE
Tight shoulders and neck, numbness in hands and fingers and lower back pain are issues that most of us are familiar with. These problems are all connected to a dysfunction of one of the most important muscle in the human body – the psoas, the only muscle that connects the lower body to the upper body. A sitting (bent over) posture tightens and shortens the psoas and cause pain in different parts of the body. Lengthening this muscle will not only increase performance on and off the bike but will also reduce pain.
Muscle power is strongly connected with the length of the muscle, as it comes from the contraction of the muscle. Regular stretching will lengthen the muscles and thus, increases the potential of power produced by this contraction. Bodyweight training leg exercises will put new stimuli on the muscle and has positive effects on the power your legs put on the pedals.
ENHANCE PERFORMANCE
RIDE LONGER, FURTHER AND MORE EFFICIENT
In ultra distance cycling the clock does not stop. There are no stages, no pre-booked hotels to recover, no high-quality food cooked by the team’s chef, no masseur who helps your muscles to recover faster. Shortly said, you are on your own and have to rely on your body (and thousands of other things). It is therefore very important to prepare your body because, once the race has started, your body demands everything you have.